Machine for stringing tobacco-leaves.



No. 7l0,027. Patented Sept. 30, I902.

' v S. D. WHEELER.

MACHINE FOR STRINGING TOBACCO LEAVES.

(Application filed June 2, 1902.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL D. WHEELER, OF FOWLSTOWN, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DAVID N. MILLER, OF ATTAPULGUS, GEORGIA.

MACHINE FOR STRINGING TOBACCO-LEAVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,027, dated September 30,1 902.

Application filed June 2, 1902. Serial No. 109,937. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL D. WH ELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fowlstown, in the county of Decatur and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Machine for Stringing Tobacco-Leaves, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a machine for stringing tobacco-leaves. f

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive machine adapted to be readily operated and capable of rapidly and effectively stringing tobacco-leaves.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tobacco-leaf-stringing machine constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view of aportion of the tray, illustrating the means for clamping the stems for holding the leaves on the tray.

Like I] umerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

l designates a frame provided with a bench 2, supported at the back by a pair of uprights 3 and at the front by a leg A. The uprights are connected at their lower ends by a crossbar which forms a portion of the base of the machine and which is connected with the leg t by a central connecting-bar 5. The uprights extend above the bench to form a guide for a vertically-movable slide 6, and they are connected by front and rear boards 7 and 8, which confine the slide between the uprights 3.

The bench is provided near its front end with a stud or projection 9, adapted to engage a perforation 10 of a tray 11, and the latter is provided near its rear end with a perforation or opening 12, adapted to register with a corresponding opening 13 of the bench to form a passage-way for a vertically-movable needle 14, which is carried by the slide 6. The tray full of leaves is placed upon the bench, and the needle is provided at its point with a recess 15 to form a beard for engaginga thread 16. The thread 16 is stretched across the space between the uprights, which are pro vided with notches 17 and 18, and the needle when moved downward engages the thread and carries the loop formed by such engagement through the leaves. The thread is contained within a box 19 or other suitable receptacle, and it passes downward through a guide 20 to a projection 21, arranged at the shoulder formed by the notch 18. After the needle has been operated, as hereinafter explained, the thread is drawn downward and is severed by means of a blade 22, projecting from the upright at one side of the frame, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The slide which carries the needle is connected with one end of a cord 23 or other flexible connection, which passes over a grooved pulley 24 and which is provided, at its other end with a ring 25, adapted to engage a peg or projection 26 for supporting the needle in an elevated position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and when the needle is in this position its recess is arranged in alinement with the notches of the uprights and is adapted to be readily threaded by simply drawing the thread across the frame, as before explained. The slide is provided at a slot 27 of the back of the machine with So a projecting handle or grip 27, which when the ring is disengaged from the peg or projection is grasped by the operator to force the needle downward through the leaves. The

grooved pulley is mounted on a suitable shaft i at the top of the frame, and the cord passes through a guide 28, which prevents it from being drawn upward entirely off the pulley.

The tray, which has its rear portion reduced to fit between the uprights, is provided at the back with a clamp composed of an up right, rigid jaw 29 and a pivoted jaw 30. The rigid jaw-is fixed at its lower end to the rear edge of the tray and issupported by an. inclined brace 31; but it may be mounted on 5 the tray in any other suitable manner. The

pivoted jaw, which when closed is arranged parallel with the rigid jaw, has its lower end perforated for the receptionof the pivot 32, and it is provided at the outer side of its up- 10 per portion with a notch 33, forming a shoulder which is adapted to be engaged bya pivoted locking brace or dog 34. The brace or dog 34, which is inclined when in engagement with the jaw 30, has its lower end perforated for the reception of the pivot 35, and it is adapted to be swung outward to release the movable jaw. The leaves are placed on the tray with their stems between the jaws while the clamp is open, and after a sufficient number of leaves have been supplied the clamp is closed by swinging the movable jaw to an upright position and engaging the pivoted dog or brace with the shoulder It will be seen that the machine is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it is adapted to be readily operated, and that it is capable of enabling leaves to he quickly strung and tied together.

What I claim is 1. A machine of the class described comprising a frame having a bench and provided above the same with an upright guide, aslide mounted in the guide and capable of upward and downward movement in the guide and provided with an upright needle having means for engaging thread, means for supporting the needle in an elevated position, and means for supportinga thread in the path of the needle, whereby the thread will be carried through the stems by the downward movement of the slide, substantially as described.

2. A machine of the class described comprising a frame, a vertically-movable slide mounted on the frame and provided atits bottom with a depending needle havinga beard for-engaging thread, a tray adapted to receive the leaves and provided with means for bolding the same in position, and means for supporting a thread in the path of the needle, whereby the thread will be carried through the stems by the downward movement of the slide, substantially as described.

3. A machine of the class described comprising a frame, a slide mounted in the frame and provided with aprojectinghandleorarm, a needle carried by the slide, a pulley located above the slide, a flexible connection arranged on the pulley and attached to the slide, means arranged to be engaged by the flexible connection for supporting the needle in an elevated position, and a tray for holding the leaves, substantially as described.

4. A machine of the class described comprising a frame havinga bench or support and provided with uprights having shoulders located above the bench or support, a slide, a

thread-holder mounted on the frame and lo-' cated above the shoulders, and a needle carried by the slide and provided with a recess located in alinement with the said shoulders when the slide is elevated, substantially as described.

5. A machine of the class described comprising a frame having a support provided with an opening at its rear end and having a stud or projection at its front portion, a slide mounted on the frame above the support and provided with a needle, and a tray provided with means for holding the leaves and having openings to register with the opening of the support and to receive the projection thereof, substantially as described.

6. A machine of the class described comprising a frame having the support, a vertically-movable needle provided with a beard for engaging thread, means for operating the needle, a tray adapted to receive the leaves and provided at the back with means for engaging the stems, and for supporting the latter in a vertical series beneath the needle, and means for supporting a thread in the path of the needle, whereby the thread will be carried through the stems by the downward movement of the slide, substantially as described. I

'7. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a frame,a needle,and means for operating the latter, of a tray adapted to receive the leaves and provided with a clamp composed ofan upwardly-extendingrigid jaw, a movable jaw arranged adjacent to the rigid jaw, and a locking device mounted on the tray and engaging the movable jaw, substantially as described.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination with aframe,a needle,and means for operating the same, of a tray adapted to receive the leaves and provided with aclamp composed of an upwardly-extending rigid jaw, an upwardly-extending movable jaw pivoted to the tray and provided at its upper portion with a notch, and a pivoted dog mounted on the tray and engaging the shoulder formed by the notch, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL D. WHEELER.

lVitnesses:

T. B. MAXWELL, W. G. D. TONGE. 

